The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked staff to volunteer for urgent deployment to support Ebola screening at the country's entry points, according to an internal email.
CDC Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya said the agency activated a Level 2 emergency response on May 18 to an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, and is expanding recruitment beyond its usual emergency responder pool as screening of selected international arrivals ramps up.
Level 2 is an intermediate emergency response level, indicating a need for substantial additional staffing. Enhanced screening operations are already underway at several port health stations and will require additional personnel. Staff across roles, including public health advisers, emergency specialists, and licensed medical providers, are being asked to support the effort.
Volunteers could be tasked with monitoring incoming travelers for signs of illness, checking temperatures, and referring suspected cases for further assessment. Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola the third-largest on record and a public health emergency of international concern.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the fast-moving outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with the latest number of suspected deaths at 220.
